Nikon D7000 [Review]

Nikon describes this DX model as a “professional-standard camera” … not a professional camera. One giveaway is the onboard flash cell: pros look askance when they see this (IMHO) useful feature.

So it’s not pro and its not raw amateur. But it beats me why the company could not have installed a vari-angle LCD screen as many lesser cameras possess. Damn useful for newbies and ‘knowbies’.

Nikon D7000 Features

This model has a new CMOS sensor, with 16.2 megapixels on the chip; using the maximum image size of 4928×3264 pixels, expect to get a 42×28 cm print.

And a big welcome to the video specs: 1920×1080 pixels for a maximum 20 minute burst. There is an onboard microphone (but of course you wouldn’t use that if you were serious). And there’s an input for an external stereo mic. In-camera video editing functions let you save a single frame as a JPEG image and you can even trim the beginning or end of a clip.

Oh and there’s a new image-processing engine— EXPEED 2; this promises faster image processing, a high level of noise reduction, improved colour reproduction and lowered power consumption.

There is an interface for an optional GPS unit plus a wireless (and Internet connection) for data transfer or flash use.

Images can be saved in RAW 12- and 14-bit (via Nikon’s NEF format), JPEG as well as RAW+JPEG; Adobe RGB and sRGB colour space.

The new AF system promises enhanced performance: the AF sensor module has 39 effective focus points with nine cross-type sensors at the centre of the frame. Autofocusing during video shooting is possible, using contrast detect AF. When the focus mode is set to full time-servo AF and the AF area mode is to subject-tracking AF, you can enjoy continuous focusing as you move through the scene. A magic performance. The camera automatically maintains focus as you move through the scene: no grinds and grates on the audio track from the AF system.

The LCD screen has 921,000 pixel definition: enjoyably sharp. If you don’t have to battle bright ambient conditions you really can use this as the viewfinder for a Live View display, instead of the excellent optical finder.

What sets this camera specifically apart from many of its competitors (even some Nikon siblings) is the continuous shooting specs. How about 6fps for a burst of up to 100 shots?

A novel feature is the twin slot for SD/SDHC/SDXC cards. You can select a specific destination slot for capture or transfer images between cards. You can even use slot 2 as an overflow when slot 1 is full or as a backup wile shooting. ‘Mazing!

After a day or two, I became quite comfy with the control layout: mode dial on top left, carrying PSAM options, SCENE modes and custom settings; beneath the mode dial is access to single/continuous shot options; at rear, at left, buttons which (with use of the rear command dial) you gain control of white balance, ISO speed, image size/quality. I figure most new owners will quickly settle into a close working relationship.

ISO Tests

If you can handle it, the D7000 has an ISO range up to 25,800!

And, as you would expect, the images from ISO 100 to 1600 are clear as a bell.

Only when you get to ISO 3200 do you begin to see noise appear while definition and colour are fine.

At ISO 6400 things do not appear to change much.

At ISO 12,800 noise is significantly higher while defintion and colour are still OK.

At ISO 25,600 (phew!) everything is at an objectionable level, with noise so it becomes party of the picture. Anyone for pointilism photography?

This shot appealed to me because, I thought, it had the heart of a good shot.

The truth is that, straight out of the camera, it was a dud. But, some gentle twisting in Photoshop Curves, and it began to sing … if not dance!

Comment

This is an interesting camera in its control layout: it lets you play with the big boys without need for a prior tertiary education!Quality: top level. It handled a wide range of shots with admirable effort.

Why you would buy it: if you’re wary of full-on prop models but still want to play with the big kids; Full HD video with continuous AF.

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Hello Jessica . If your going into photography and will be advancing progresively you will need a camera capable of sustaining your growth . A camera that might have all those little features that come in handy as you grow as a photographer . I can recommend heartly the Nikon D90 . It’s a great , feature ridden camera that happens to take excellent photos and has a great reputation for reliablity. It’s not overly big nor is it to small . Not very heavy as some , not very light as others .
On the subject of lens you would need by what is called by many a midrange lens that also should be fast ( Fast because most weddings are taken indoors and the use of a flash for the ceremony is not a good idea as it tends to disrupt the proceedings .)
Nikon makes some of the best fast midrange lens in the world ( Nikons 24-70mm F2.8 comes to mind )but they don’t come cheap. All are over 1 grand . You could go for third party lens which are less expensive and also have good performance (Tamron 17-50mm F2.8 , Sigma 17-50mm F2.8 ) are just two third party lens available capable of doing the job with excellent performance .
These lens could also do double duty as walk around lens and portraits but if you want something substantially good for portraits , on the low side of the equation you could go with Nikons 85mm F1.8 and if your willing to spend more then the Nikon 85mm F1.4 would be even better but be prepare to spend upward of 1 grand for it . A great walk around lens which could also do duties as a portrait and at weddings is the Nikon 16-85mm . The problem with this one at least for weddings is that it’s not a very fast lens but it’s VR feature would be helpful to shoot at low shutter speeds .
Apart from all that has been written I would like to say that the Nikon D7000 would be an even better alternative then the D90 as cameras go but since the nature of your letter tends to indicate you might be a bit strapped for cash the D90 would be perfect for what you want at the level you will be at.

Odai

I’ve had the D7000 since January and love the camera. Everything vital is easily accessible, the camera is not too large neither too small, it is well build to last a knock or two, very responsive and the raw files pack a serious amount of information.

The cameras not by any means perfect and there are some issue or annoyances:
– I wish the ISO button could be assigned to another location.
– The camera does have a tendency to over expose
– the dial on the M,A,S,P etc. does easily shift position and in a rush you might end up having the cam on S instead of A.
– the auto-focusing in the video is pretty much useless.
– the live-view mode is nice add on in dim conditions, but the screen lacks some vital information for example your exposure( or at least I have not found to enable it)! Also the little screen on the top lacks your exposure, which I can not understand why leave out such a vital bit of info.
– the worst out of all is that the NEF files produced whilst shooting in RAW are only recognised by Photoshop CS5 and lightroom 3 nothing earlier. I for example do not have cs5 and do not intend to upgrade as the older photoshop has enough to get the thing done that I require, but now I cannot import a raw file directly in to photoshop but have to go via lightroom. Frustrating and can be quite resource hungry.

I’m not quite convinced that the D7000 is the best value for money as you can get the D300s for less with all the bells and whistles. But none the less the d7000 great fun to use. I just wish Nikon would of dropped some of the less useful features and focused to get all the photographic function spot in such a solid small package.

Rolando

This is my first Camera……learning about photography……….love it!!!!
I think I got exactly what I wanted
I like macrophotography so i got a 105mm Nikkor Micro….loving that too
Cheers

I bought the d7000 about a month ago upgrading from a d70. The low light capabilities of the d7000 when combined with a faster 2.8 28-70 lens has made me rethink how I take photos. I’ve be experimenting shooting in aperture priority and adjusting my iso & exposure compensation. I’m blown away by the results. Yes it does shoot a little bright but using the EC -.5 to -1 I find correct this. The deciding factor on purchasing the d7000 over the d5100 was lens compatibility. The body on the d5100 does not have a motor and rendered my lenses auto focus useless but the d7000 does and work’s with more lenses.

doc

I had this camera for two weeks now but I had the lens changed to a 24-300 mm VR lens. So far, it has not disappointed my expectations from Nikon. All the people who saw the pictures were amazed by the clarity and fidelity by which the camera has captured the subjects. The lens was perfect too and felt like the camera body- strongly built, manufactured with detailed accuracy and delivered as expected from an equipment like this. Congratulations to Nikon for another winner

I recently bought a D7000 . I would just like to add that my D7000 under extreme high contrast conditions does not overexpose . I live in Puerto Rico and recently went out to take a walk with my D7000 on a hot sunny afternoon and took some pics to see if it was true what some say that the camera overexposed by as much in some ocasions as 1.5 to 2 EV . After I took a pic I looked at the histogram to see and every pic came out within the boundarys of the histiogram, very close to 255 but not over so the cameras high dynamic range is being used sucessfully by the metering system of the camera. When I uploaded the pic to my pc all the pics came out great with high detail , neutral colors and sharpness from corner to corner and this was using the kit lens that comes with the camera , 18-105mm VR . Nikon did one great design in this camera and tweeked the output so that the shooter might be able to get it’s full performance without to much fiddling with incamera settings . I would like to add that this was using Matrix 3d color metering using continuos autofocusing with 39 points . In single point the camera adds more weight to the metering on the focusing point so it might work differently and as of today I still haven’t tried it in that settings . But I can say truthfully that with Matrix Metering using the kit lens and full continuous autofocusing the cameras metering was superb.

Hi

markogts
D7000 already has the best ISO performance out of all APS-C sensor DSLRS

nicole

I love my nikon D7000. I got it a year ago for christmas. It was by far one of the best gifts I have received. It’s my first professional camera, so I’m still learning on it. My favorite part of this camera is how it has two slots for SD cards and I have the ability to control my IOS. I would recommend this camera to anyone that it really into photography!

Paul Lucas

This is my very first ever Digital SLR camera I have ever owned, since from last August (2012) when I bought it and I am very well pleased with the performance of it!

And after reading Darrell Young book on (Mastering the Nikon D7000), in which I agree with what he says about the advanced features compared to the other Nikon range D3000s, D90, D35 which are considered professional cameras…

The Nikon D7000 has all the features and critical functions found in the semipro D3000s and seriously extends the feature set of the advanced Nikon D90.

Plus all the reviews about this camera, make this the most popular and voted for the best ISO performance and an outstanding (CMOS DX format imaging sensor) of 13.9 EVs.

I love my Nikon D7000

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jennilhenry/ Neechie

Got this a few weeks ago and so far I am in love. I had bought in to lenses instead of upgrading my camera but got to the point I needed a new one (prior was D3000 and there were low light & focus issues that drove me crazy). As far as the “no vari-angle screen” that was a bonus for me.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jennilhenry/ Neechie

Did you like the Darrell Young book? There are a lot out there and I was wondering which to get.

Some older comments

nicole

February 5, 2013 10:51 am

I love my nikon D7000. I got it a year ago for christmas. It was by far one of the best gifts I have received. It's my first professional camera, so I'm still learning on it. My favorite part of this camera is how it has two slots for SD cards and I have the ability to control my IOS. I would recommend this camera to anyone that it really into photography!

Hi

December 22, 2011 06:19 pm

markogts
D7000 already has the best ISO performance out of all APS-C sensor DSLRS

manuel

August 12, 2011 09:53 am

I recently bought a D7000 . I would just like to add that my D7000 under extreme high contrast conditions does not overexpose . I live in Puerto Rico and recently went out to take a walk with my D7000 on a hot sunny afternoon and took some pics to see if it was true what some say that the camera overexposed by as much in some ocasions as 1.5 to 2 EV . After I took a pic I looked at the histogram to see and every pic came out within the boundarys of the histiogram, very close to 255 but not over so the cameras high dynamic range is being used sucessfully by the metering system of the camera. When I uploaded the pic to my pc all the pics came out great with high detail , neutral colors and sharpness from corner to corner and this was using the kit lens that comes with the camera , 18-105mm VR . Nikon did one great design in this camera and tweeked the output so that the shooter might be able to get it's full performance without to much fiddling with incamera settings . I would like to add that this was using Matrix 3d color metering using continuos autofocusing with 39 points . In single point the camera adds more weight to the metering on the focusing point so it might work differently and as of today I still haven't tried it in that settings . But I can say truthfully that with Matrix Metering using the kit lens and full continuous autofocusing the cameras metering was superb.

I had this camera for two weeks now but I had the lens changed to a 24-300 mm VR lens. So far, it has not disappointed my expectations from Nikon. All the people who saw the pictures were amazed by the clarity and fidelity by which the camera has captured the subjects. The lens was perfect too and felt like the camera body- strongly built, manufactured with detailed accuracy and delivered as expected from an equipment like this. Congratulations to Nikon for another winner

george

June 22, 2011 01:02 pm

I bought the d7000 about a month ago upgrading from a d70. The low light capabilities of the d7000 when combined with a faster 2.8 28-70 lens has made me rethink how I take photos. I've be experimenting shooting in aperture priority and adjusting my iso & exposure compensation. I'm blown away by the results. Yes it does shoot a little bright but using the EC -.5 to -1 I find correct this. The deciding factor on purchasing the d7000 over the d5100 was lens compatibility. The body on the d5100 does not have a motor and rendered my lenses auto focus useless but the d7000 does and work's with more lenses.

Eshban Bahadur

May 26, 2011 07:14 am

see this video for Canon 7d and Nikon D7000 comparison
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZPNwIMMFik
its very nice

Rolando

May 20, 2011 02:12 pm

This is my first Camera......learning about photography..........love it!!!!
I think I got exactly what I wanted
I like macrophotography so i got a 105mm Nikkor Micro....loving that too
Cheers

Odai

May 9, 2011 08:57 pm

I've had the D7000 since January and love the camera. Everything vital is easily accessible, the camera is not too large neither too small, it is well build to last a knock or two, very responsive and the raw files pack a serious amount of information.

The cameras not by any means perfect and there are some issue or annoyances:
- I wish the ISO button could be assigned to another location.
- The camera does have a tendency to over expose
- the dial on the M,A,S,P etc. does easily shift position and in a rush you might end up having the cam on S instead of A.
- the auto-focusing in the video is pretty much useless.
- the live-view mode is nice add on in dim conditions, but the screen lacks some vital information for example your exposure( or at least I have not found to enable it)! Also the little screen on the top lacks your exposure, which I can not understand why leave out such a vital bit of info.
- the worst out of all is that the NEF files produced whilst shooting in RAW are only recognised by Photoshop CS5 and lightroom 3 nothing earlier. I for example do not have cs5 and do not intend to upgrade as the older photoshop has enough to get the thing done that I require, but now I cannot import a raw file directly in to photoshop but have to go via lightroom. Frustrating and can be quite resource hungry.

I'm not quite convinced that the D7000 is the best value for money as you can get the D300s for less with all the bells and whistles. But none the less the d7000 great fun to use. I just wish Nikon would of dropped some of the less useful features and focused to get all the photographic function spot in such a solid small package.

manuel

May 9, 2011 05:39 am

Hello Jessica . If your going into photography and will be advancing progresively you will need a camera capable of sustaining your growth . A camera that might have all those little features that come in handy as you grow as a photographer . I can recommend heartly the Nikon D90 . It's a great , feature ridden camera that happens to take excellent photos and has a great reputation for reliablity. It's not overly big nor is it to small . Not very heavy as some , not very light as others .
On the subject of lens you would need by what is called by many a midrange lens that also should be fast ( Fast because most weddings are taken indoors and the use of a flash for the ceremony is not a good idea as it tends to disrupt the proceedings .)
Nikon makes some of the best fast midrange lens in the world ( Nikons 24-70mm F2.8 comes to mind )but they don't come cheap. All are over 1 grand . You could go for third party lens which are less expensive and also have good performance (Tamron 17-50mm F2.8 , Sigma 17-50mm F2.8 ) are just two third party lens available capable of doing the job with excellent performance .
These lens could also do double duty as walk around lens and portraits but if you want something substantially good for portraits , on the low side of the equation you could go with Nikons 85mm F1.8 and if your willing to spend more then the Nikon 85mm F1.4 would be even better but be prepare to spend upward of 1 grand for it . A great walk around lens which could also do duties as a portrait and at weddings is the Nikon 16-85mm . The problem with this one at least for weddings is that it's not a very fast lens but it's VR feature would be helpful to shoot at low shutter speeds .
Apart from all that has been written I would like to say that the Nikon D7000 would be an even better alternative then the D90 as cameras go but since the nature of your letter tends to indicate you might be a bit strapped for cash the D90 would be perfect for what you want at the level you will be at.

Jessica

May 7, 2011 11:54 pm

I am fairly new to photography but have and will be taking photos at wedding (main photographer) and want to do portraits. I am trying to research the best camera for me to Start out, learn, and "look" the part but also have enough money to get the lenses and accessories I need. I am leaning towards Nikon.
Information I could use help on...
1. Suggestions on cameras for my career path.
2. Cheaper - good quality lenses
3. Size lenses I need to start.
A. For portrait and wedding
I. Walk around
II. Wide angle
III. Any others
Thank you for you help in advance!

Jess

Craig

May 5, 2011 05:25 pm

My approach to the dilema of Cannon EOS 60 vs Nikon D7000 was to look at the two units on detailed specification level on www.dpreview.com and it is evident that the D7000 is a far more capable and feature rich option, so round one on paper goes to the Nikon..................round two is to get the camera in hand and see how it "feels" and handles and in this space, for me, the feel and the build quality of the Nikon was far superior to the EOS 60D which may be ever so slighly bigger, but feels and looks like cheap plastic in comparison to the magnesium alloy ruggedness of the Nikon.........................round three is on price and there is not much difference here between the two, with the Nikon ever so slightly more expensive. This is my summariesed version of a very detailed and completely objective view into these two camera's, I was actually hoping to buy into the Canon brand and ended up favouring the Nikon, this was a hard choice to make since I was set on Canon.................what I'm trying to say here is that I ended up with the Nikon even though I was more inclined to the Canon because I took a completely objective approach to comparing bang for buck here.

itemma

May 2, 2011 06:46 am

Manuel...thanks for your advice.I really appreciate it.God bless.

manuel

April 30, 2011 01:49 am

Itemma...this is the way I see it. There are very few people who can see the differences in IQ between any of the cameras you are considering unless you step the ladder a bit upwaudsand go for cameras such as the D7000 or canon 7D which to my eyes have better IQ then the ones below it . That being as it is I recommend to make your pick based on features and which one feels right in you hands.
If you want a camera just to take snapshots and have fun once in a while with your family I can recommend the Nikon 3100 as it will do find . But if your in the frame of mind to advance in photography then you will need a camera capable of matching your skills . If that is the case the only camera you can truthfully buy and I can recommend because of it's feature sets is the Nikon D90 and if you can stretch it a bit the Nikon D7000 you be even better .

itemma

April 30, 2011 01:14 am

Hello George,I found this piece of advice useful.Many thanks to you.Cheers.

George Dewey Powell

April 29, 2011 10:20 pm

itemma, I bought the D40 to begin with, but in 5 months I was looking for a little more camera and sold it on cragislist in order to buy the D90, which I love. I bought the D7000 for low light capabilities and magnesium alloy body instead of the polycarbonate found in the other models rendering a better seal from the elements and tougher body when shooting nature, but chose to keep the D90 rather than sell it because of how much I like it and now it is my bag camera. I've not shot with the D3100, but I don't think you, or anyone else could go wrong by purchasing the D90, but it still comes to personal preference, as is the Canon/Nikon debate.

Royston Kane

April 29, 2011 06:18 am

Just this this camera up and am loving it so far. Will have a chance to do a grade school concert on Friday. Looking forward to seeing the results.

Kevin

April 29, 2011 02:11 am

Rafael. Four great cameras in that range : Pentax K5, Nikon D300s & D7000 and Canon 7D. However if you are already invested in Nikon lenses then you need look no further than another Nikon.

manuel

April 28, 2011 06:37 am

Both are very capable cameras. Nikons D90 has develope over the years a cult status as the D40 for it's great IQ and versatility in its market sector. But if your willing to pay extra and you think to have the know how and the capability to extract that extra that the d7000 is capable of giving go for it. Erogonmics and features are a cut above the d90 plus is has very good IQ which I understand can be seen which cannot be said of other camera comparisons.

On the D7000 against the Canon 7D all I can say is that it to being a great camera if your very much into video the Canon 7D would be my choice as I consider it's video capabilities better then the D7000 even though the D7000 has autofocus in it's video it still is a bit mundane compared to a good camcorder ( I have always said , " you want video ? Get a good camcorder , at least at this point in time)

Another thing I would like to tell you is that Megapixel don't matter as much as many people think. The only advantage is if you enlarge your prints above a certain point ( that point being way above what people normally print at.).So don't decide based on megapixel. More important then that is the quality of those megapixels and that not only depends a lot on the sensor but the electronics behind the sensor.

Both the Pentax K5 and the Nikon D7000 are about neck to neck on the quality of their sensors , able to give you the largest dynamic range in a APS-C sized sensor in the market.
So having said all that I guess my final point should be for you to go to your local photography shop and hold the cameras in your hands. See which one is the more confortable one which is a very personal thing. Use them and take photos with them and then decide which one you would prefer over which one. This method as I understand is as good as any other in the desicion making process in buying a DSLR. Either one of them...D90 , D7000 or even the Canon 7D or the Nikon D300S would have to be considered in the overall schemes of things. Take care.

itemma

April 27, 2011 06:17 pm

I have been thinking about which DSLR will be good for me,a beginner who just completed 3 months trainning but contemplating on which of these models should i go for.Is it D40,D70,D90 or D3100.Please advice me.Cheers.

Eshban Bahadur

April 27, 2011 03:38 pm

Rafeal I suggest you to go with Canon 7d instead of Nikon 7000. Browse internet to see the exciting features of Canon 7d and compare it with Nikon 7000

Rafael

April 27, 2011 03:07 pm

Thanks George, I appreciate the advice. Think I just may need to get the D7000!

George Dewey Powell

April 27, 2011 02:58 pm

Rafael, I can only say that I went from the D40 to the D90, and eventually the D7000 for the low-light capabilities. Fortunately I was able to keep my D90 (which I love) and now have it in the bag with an 18mm-270mm on it for all-around use. I love my D7000 and feel it was the perfect choice for me.

Rafael

April 27, 2011 02:47 pm

Hello everyone,

Now I been all over the internet but out of any photography website this is the one to go to. So if you guys could please answer this for me. I have a D3000 but am ready to upgrade, now I would like to play with video(not to important) but my main focus is photography.

So my question is should I get the D90 or spend the extra cash and get the D7000?

Greatly appreciated it, thanks in advance!

John

April 24, 2011 01:06 am

Yes, the review was light and left out some features. However, like said earlier, people can use other sites to get a full picture of what the D7000 can do. Unfortunately, like Chevy vs. Ford and PC vs. Mac people will compare and contrast companies instead of looking at their personal needs and how the PRODUCT can assist them in achieving their personal outcomes. The D7000 is my first DSLR and I'm enjoying it. I looked at Canon, Panasonic and Pentax and I chose the D7000 because to me, I liked the build quality, 16.2 CMOS sensor, low light capabilities, dual SD cards (1 for pictures, 1 for kids' videos), 1080p video, the price I got for the kit and I felt like I could learn and grow with this camera without feeling like I'd need to buy something else in 1-2 years. I simply sought out this site to increase my knowledge.

Really folks, companies will come and go if they aren't progressive; or fail to respond to their base. Use your purchase power, be sinfully selfish and enjoy your purchases! I've got my Nikon D7000 and I'm not looking back. Have fun...

Kush

April 22, 2011 05:59 pm

I am using D7000 for past few months and I am loving it. I dont know whether every one would like to spend such a big amount if you are not really big time in photography. If you see D90 or D3100 are real cheap as compared to D7000 but generally these also offer incredible results. Before buying D7000 for the special features it has, you must really see that how many times you are going to use those features......I know many people who use DSLR and still shoot in auto mode...forget about shooting in priority or manual mode they dont even use inbuilt custom modes....if you are one of those, the camera is not a worth investment for you.

manuel

April 22, 2011 01:38 pm

Even though I admit Nikon has made a commendable come back in just some years I don't think Canon because of this will drift into oblivion . Canon makes some extremely good cameras especially their P&S range is still the best money can buy . About their supposedly lack of dedication to costumers that has not been my experience with them . My wife and daughter have P&S cameras and once I had to used the warranty service on one of the cameras and must say they were extremely efficient . I don't know it's service for the DSLR cameras is as good but all I can say is that my experience with Canons costumer service does not replicate what Cris is saying. I'm a Nikon and my main camera is a NIkon but I admit that if I were in the Canon camp I would be as happy . All this mombo jumbo going on between canonites and Nikonite fan is rather inmature and childish .

Chris

April 22, 2011 07:57 am

Canon lovers, Nikon bashers. This article more than confirms that fact. But hey, if we want to read a real review, we go to dpreviewDOTcom anyway.

But after all, the D7000 does put EOS fans into tizzy fits, for good reason. And they're losing sleep over the D400 and it's anticipated features, wondering how much they can dump their Canon lenses for on eBay to afford the switch to better bodies and glass when the time comes. Nikon owned the pro and advanced level market, losing ground to Canon strictly on autofocus speed. But those days are in the past, and Nikon is roaring back at a high rate of speed. Sales figures for both are evidence of that fact.

Canon is trying to keep up, losing more ground with each Nikon model release, and they're really not doing much about it. But what do you expect from a company whose main income is from color copiers?? Their lack of dedication to their customers was proven when they did the lens mount switch back in the 80's, breaking a promise that Nikon also made and kept.

There will come a time when they slip into history, like Minolta, Agfa, etc, and stick to their main money machine, which ain't cameras. They're milking the cash cow while they can.

Lester

April 20, 2011 05:05 am

I recently got the D7000 (upgrade from my old D50). what I miss is the easy way to get into the delayed shutter release and the remote control mode that was available on the D50. is using the selector around the mode wheel on the left top of the camera the only way ? It seems to me that is very cumbersome.

Kevin

April 16, 2011 06:38 pm

Manuel - I'm sorry but you really need to get your facts straight. I understand you love your camera and that we are all then subject to owner's bias to reinforce our buying decisions, but let's be accurate at least.

For all intensive purposes there is nothing in it between the Pentax K5 and Nikon D7000 and the best camera for you should be based upon other criteria as both of these cameras have absolutely outstanding sensors (supposedly the same one - just the implementation may be different).

With regard to scores against 'Pro-level' cameras (a debatable statement in itself) then there are other criteria apart from the sensor to set them apart.

manuel

April 16, 2011 10:16 am

Even though the Nikon is at the level of the Canon 60D many have compared it to the 7D because of not only it's feature set but the quality of its photos. Video wise Nikon still has some catching to do compared with Canon . But as someone has already mentioned here , you want a video camera , get a camcorder.
Evaluatiing IQ is a subjective matter and being that as it is there is clearly no right and wrong here but IMHO everytime I see a photo taken with the D7000 I am inmerse into it's wide dynamic range and brilliant and neutral colors. The D7000 not only subjectively but objectively has by controled measurement the highest dynamic range of any aps-c sensor with high pixel count on the market today. DXO labs measurements say it beats anything right now in the market . It's high Iso performance is worthy of the highest praise . Both of these things it's low light performance , high iso caracteristics together with it's dynamic range gives photos taken with it a seldom seen quality in digital photography only comparable to the best film cameras .
The review has I believe because of its concise manner omitted many semi pro features this camera has that has never been seen in a consumer based camera .
Magnesium built , in camera lens fine tuning , horizon adapter for proper horizontal perspecitve , AIS and AI capablitiy which was only seen up to now from the semi pro 300s upwards . Intervalometer , 12 bit or 14 bit ( what ever you chose) ADC conversion . Double socket for two memory card instead of one . Weather sealing for improve isolation from enviroment and many other goodies just recently seen only in semi pro cameras . To top it all it's focusing performance from it's 39 point focusing tracking system with Nikons new devoloping engine and 6fps with 18 raw images buffering before a substantial drop in performance make this camera one of the hottest items on the market today. Makes me wonder , Nikon put so many things into this camera that I really don't know what they will come up with in the D300s replacement . If the D300s is as revolutionary as the D7000 it should be something to behold.

Wanda

April 16, 2011 09:23 am

I bought the d7k about four months ago. i LOVE it--but, it has developed a problelm. intermittently when i press the shutter button, the mirror goes up but won't come down until i press the sb again! then i have a black frame. now it is starting to stick open and i get a complete white frame? i have done a hard reset, changed lenses and checked settings and still have the problem. before i take it to the manufacturer, has anyone else had the problem? am i over looking something? help!!

George Dewey Powell

April 16, 2011 08:57 am

let's see, I paid $1299.00 for my D7000 and the Canon 7d runs $2000-$2299 and Eshban claims the Canon is better. It should be at least $800-$1000 better, but even then, it is subjective isn't it?

TC

April 16, 2011 04:46 am

Com'on people. The reviews in this blog will never be as detailed as the ones that are directed at the tech heads. You can find those easily elsewhere.
As for the D7K, I just took this home a few days ago. Graduating from my ultra zoom to DSLR, and my first impression is that it is everything that I have expected. I don't think I will have any upgrade dreams for a long time, at least body-wise.
I strongly suggest skiping the kit lenses. To get the best result from this camera, step up to at least the next level of lenses. The Sigma 17-50, F/2.8 on mine gets amazing results. I had a loaner whose quality is just below the Sigma, yet still better than the kit lenses. The difference is quite visible (pardon the punt).
Yes, it should have come with the variable angle LCD. Maybe on the D300s replacement?

Eshban Bahadur

April 15, 2011 03:20 pm

Its a very nice camera. But if you compare it with Canon 7d, then it Canon 7d is a winner

matt

April 15, 2011 12:05 pm

This is a great site.

That said, this review was, well, weak at best......

One of the major new features is the 'U1' and 'U2' modes which allow seperate custom settings with instant recall. No more wading through those annoying menus! Wasn't even mentioned.
Yes, Canon has had this feature for awhile but this is a a biggie for Nikon.

The magnesium shell wasn't mentioned either.

Flip / swivel screens?!? Seriously?? They are just waiting to be broken off, scuffed up, damaged or otherwise broken.

Manuel' post above mentions the other awesome thing with this camera, and that is the superb dynamic range. (Superb for digital)

Anyway, I think that for $1200.00 you certainly are not going wrong. (I'm not even going to touch the video thang.... If you want to shoot video, buy a camcorder. ;-) .)

Enough ranting. Have fun!!

manuel

April 15, 2011 06:37 am

There is one very important point this reviews does not mentioned which makes this camera a revolutionary effort by Nikon and if I may say so one of if not the best cropped camera money can buy right now in image quality. This cameras Dynamic range is simply phenomenal . Apart from it's superb high iso the fact that it has excellent dynamic range couple with great high iso performance makes this camera right now the camera to beat image wise . There are cameras that have better autofocus performance and better built or whatever but I don't know a camera which can give in a cropped sensor this image quality and for 1200 dollars it's a no brainer.Ergonomics on the camera are great giving features that you could only get on semi pro cameras as magnesium shell , lens fine tuning , capability to use Nikons older AI and AIS lens which some are not only still great optically but can be had for pennies. Over all Nikon has hit a home run with this one and will eventually be the camera to which others will be compared with. I wonder what Nikon will do to beat this with it's precursor to the D300S and the D700.

Jim

April 13, 2011 12:20 pm

I have no use for the video, I just want a reasonably priced still camera that performs at a top notch level. So I guess I'll buy it anyway. D300 just petered out.

Disappointed

April 12, 2011 08:47 pm

This is hardly a "review" and more of a pick it up, make some iso comparing shots and paste the usual blurbs from any spec article written about this camera months ago. Poor effort.

Adrian Spencer

April 12, 2011 04:08 pm

I am intrigued by the comments about the built in flash. The D700 has a built in flash, so is that not a professionals camera?

Blueblogger

April 12, 2011 11:27 am

It's been two months and without a doubt one of my best camera purchaes to date. Spent the first couple of days in the manual getting familiar with all the cool features. Now I am taking amazing photos with ease! Dont forget to pick up a LCD cover. Made this mistake on my last Nikon. I found a BM-11 Cover on Amazon for $15, works like a charm :-)

Dan

April 12, 2011 08:32 am

I've had my D7000 about three months now and I must admit that it is head & shoulders above my D40x. One of the reasons I went with the D7000 was the upward compatability of the lenses and it seemed as though I was building on what I learned from the D40x. That is probably an understatement.

Yes, I would have liked to have seen the tilt/swivil screen as well but appear to be doing quite well without it. And mastering the focus & metering advances has been a real challenge to me as well. But I am starting to see the advantages of the better systems so hope that my efforts only get better with time.

It was necessary (for me at least) to break down and buy the "Dummies" book for the D7000. I found it a good review of basics, a good explanation of the video features (which I've barely scratched the surface of) and almost necessary for the multiple focusing & metering options.

There always seems to be a lot of give & take/pro & con about image size. But I look at it this way... there are times that in spite of your best efforts or your best lenses that you can't always get the shot that you want. With a lot of extra image, you can crop the original and still not lose much in the way of detail in the final cut. I only dreamed of this when I started out with a 3.2 megapixel "point & shoot."

With the exception of the screen, I can't find too much else wrong with my D7000. It is likely the last camera I'll ever need since it does so much more than I can use right now. And, as I learn & grow, I'm betting that the new camera will feel better and better as time goes by.

dlm

jeff

April 12, 2011 04:30 am

Sorry about misspelling distance and it shoud say 2 card slots on my last comment.

jeff

April 12, 2011 04:27 am

I like the d-7000.you can change raw files somewhat in the camera to jpeg. This camera is a decent camera. @ card slots and 12 or 14 bit choice. Yes , we have to be blessed at what we have here. I examined several canons dslrs, and seemed they were plastic ish. I bought this camera after working with my d-5000. I use both .There is softness in 55-3000 mm nikon lense, normal for these lenses. So I go to 200 or even 135 mm . I'm pleased with it. Most big lenses have softness anyway. D-7000 is ok with flying ducks and geese in a normal cistance, also great with still shots . Its also weather sealed to a degree.

Walter VanRooyen

April 12, 2011 03:34 am

Also, where'd you get those prices? You can at least put the body alone price. I'm assuming that's not the kit lens, (I'm at work so I can't check mine). Body alone is $1199, with the kit lens $1499 NOT $2299. I know most of you guys at DPs are Canon shooters but it seems pretty sketchy to me that you guys would try to pull something like that...

Harry

April 12, 2011 12:24 am

I also find this review subjective! Honestly I am disappointed. DPS is on Canon's side! I mean, you just started the review with something negative about the camera, then most of the rest is neutral. You didn't even tell us why it is not a professional camera other than the sentence about the flash. + I don't see any semi-professional cameras with vari-angle screens, unless canon uses that for its semi-pro cameras simply as a marketing trick.

I'm sorry that was a bit harsh, but I don't think you should crush this camera considering its price and for what it does.

Rich Copley

April 11, 2011 01:06 pm

When I first read the specs on this camera I thought it looked fantastic, and have yet to read a review that put me off its trail. I agree with Mr. Smith that the pop-up can be useful. While I cannot remember using it as a flash itself, it works great as a commander for off-camera flashes in the Nikon CLS system, thereby not making you buy a commander unit or use a flash on camera for that purpose.

Kirstin

April 11, 2011 10:58 am

For me one of the higher end Nikons was not an option, so I think for the person who cannot put out as much as some of those cameras, the D7000 is a good choice. I can't wait to really learn how to work it!

Ant

April 11, 2011 10:20 am

Nobody has mentioned the 100% viewfinder coverage of the D7000. For me this feature is much more important for good handling and composition than the gimmicky "vari-angle" LCD found on some competitors. I just don't use live view for pictures, everything works much better when using the 'finder.

Harley Hudson

April 11, 2011 08:16 am

I bought this camera last week. Delivered on Friday. Over the last two days, I have played with it a bit...general shooting. I love it. The quality is great though I agree that I had to do some tweaking to bring out the best in some shots. Others were great out of the camera. I haven't played with RAW simply because my wife uses most of the photos, and she doesn't know how to work with RAW.

In short, I love it. I'm sure as I learn more, I will love it even better.

Barrie Smith

April 11, 2011 07:30 am

To maskogts
You're quite right. One way to determine the most suitable printing resolution is to weigh in the viewing distance. I figure prints meant to be viewed in the hand look best at 300 dpi.
Digital prints that are plastered over buses can be made at much lower resolutions. Take a close look at these … you will be alarmed!

Rick

April 11, 2011 05:45 am

From what I can tell, the prosumer Nikons beat the pants off the prosumer Canons. And I'm a Canon guy.

George Dewey Powell

April 11, 2011 03:05 am

I've had my D7000 for about 2.5 months, upgrading from my D90. While just now getting outside with snow and cold gone, I personally love my D7000 and am extremely glad I made this choice.. I too don't shoot beyond ISO 3200 and am very impressed with the way noise is handled. I still choose to shoot video with my HD videocam....

ccarlson

April 11, 2011 02:34 am

I've been waiting for this review since November and all we get is the tech specs in sentence form? Thats not useful at all. How about some more meat to the review?

Tanya

April 11, 2011 01:49 am

I have had this camera for about 3 months and ABSOLUTELY love this camera. Still getting to learn it all, but I have learned more with this camera faster than I did with my D40.

Nick

April 11, 2011 01:37 am

I love my D7000! the ISO performance is just amazing... it's an awesome camera. I came from a Nikon D60 to the D7000 and I'm just loving every moment of it. I even picked up the 35 f1.8 with to and with them two combined, it's just amazing.

Raymond

April 11, 2011 01:32 am

I think this review is very subjective and not that useful.

I have a D7000 which I use to shoot professionally but compared to my D300, I must say my D300 is much better in AF, especially in low light. The D7000 tends to hunt in low light out of its cross type AF, whereas the D300 is very confident in its AF even in the corners

The D7000, however, handles high ISO much much better and personally I won't go past 3200. The way the new EXPEED II render the images is also really impressive.

My D7000 does seem to overexpose slightly though, and the images is a little soft, so I increased the sharpness by a tad. Great camera, but if I had to pick again I might go for the D300s. Hope this helps.

Kirstin

April 11, 2011 01:11 am

Thank u for this review. I just purchased the D7000 after months of researching. I am a mom who loves taking pictures, especially o my girls playing soccer. I LOVE the 6fps. I'm still learning how to use all the features but am liking it so far!

retlaw7

April 11, 2011 01:08 am

I've had this camera for a few weeks now, and I must say it is pretty fantastic! It's fast, clear, and very rugged. I highly recommend it if you've been on the fence about buying it.

markogts

April 11, 2011 12:28 am

Again the 300 dpi legend. So you would not print beyond 40 cm with the D7000? How come I printed 100x70 cm with a 10 MPx D80 without hassle? The problem is not the pixel count, but the overall image quality: lens sharpness and photographer's knowledge first of all. I wish the D7000 had less pixels and better ISO performance.